1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a botanical composition useful as a preventative, alleviative, or remedy for treating one or more symptoms associated with fever.
2. Background Art
Fever is a common symptom of many medical conditions including infectious diseases such as influenza, common cold, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), malaria, infectious mononucleosis, or gastroenteritis; various skin inflammations such as boils, pimples, acne, or abscess; immunological diseases such as lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, inflammatory bowel disease; tissue destruction involving hemolysis, surgery, or infarction; and conditions caused by an adverse reaction to medications such as antibiotics or sulfa drugs.
Fever, also known as pyrexia, is often described as an increase in internal body temperature to levels above the body's thermoregulatory set-point. Body temperature is regulated in the hypothalamus. Fever occurs in response to a pyrogen, a triggering substance. A pyrogen may be endogenous or exogenous to the body. The bacterial substance lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an example of an exogenous pyrogen and certain cytokines produced by phagocytic cells are exemplary endogenous pyrogens.
People with fever experience fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia, anorexia, or delirium. Fever may further cause tachycardia, tachypnea, or an increase in metabolic rate. In situations where the underlying etiology for the fever symptom is inflammatory and or infectious, a fever left untreated may be fatal for patients who are weak and febrile.
Additionally, many synthetic drugs such as antibiotics are useful in treating bacterial infections associated with the underlying diseases; however, synthetic drugs often have side effects. By way of example, repetitive and prolonged use of antibiotics are known to induce antibiotics resistance in humans. Also, the use of antibiotics is severely restricted in pregnant patients.
As such, it is desirable to provide a natural remedy, with less side effects or use restrictions, for controlling fever symptoms and/or treating the underlying conditions associated with fever.